1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to methods for playing online social games, and more particularly, methods, systems, and computer programs for expanding gaming social networks with players that do not have an existing social relationship with other players.
2. Description of the Related Art
Online games that allow players to interact with other players have become popular. Some online games, such as chess or bridge, have a small number of players that play together at the same time. Other online games, such as Massively Multiplayer Online (MMO) games, can have a large number of players playing simultaneously. Online game operators, also referred to as social game operators, harness the power of online social networks, to design games that closely integrate the players' social graph data with their existing friendship connections.
In social MMO games, players collaborate in order to play the game and make progress. In some games, the more the players collaborate in the game, the faster that progress is made in the online the game. However, some players have few friends, and some of the friends may not be playing the same game. For example, a player may need four neighbors to form a crew to complete a mission in the game, but only one friend is available for the crew, making it hard for the player to complete the game mission without a crew. Thus, many players get frustrated with the game, because they cannot get the help from other players to progress in the game. This may cause some players to abandon the game and search for other games, where progress is easier without the need of friends.
It is in this context that embodiments arise.